Blog award fest with a Chocolate and cinammon Babka reward! :)

by Lili
March 30, 2015
38 comments
A bit of background and awards

I did consider declaring myself an award-free zone and hiding in the kitchen but while I’m shy about accepting awards I also love any excuse for mutual recognition and celebration!  So bring out the cava (Spanish champagne) and I’ll try to catch up with the backlog quickly!  And as a reward for turning up to this award ceremony I’m handing out slices of a lovely light Polish Easter bread:  chocolate and cinammon Babka!   Have a couple of slices, it’s a bit like panettone but seems softer and isn’t that sweet, with 70% dark chocolate streaked through it.  It will go very well with the cava at our blog award fest don’t you think?  Let’s celebrate! 🙂

Polish Chocolate and Cinammon Babka Easter bread in my first ever new bundt tin!

Polish Chocolate and Cinammon Babka Easter bread in my first ever new bundt tin!

S0669067BLOG AWARDS

Feel free to scroll right down to the Polish Easter bread if you like.  Trust me, if I wasn’t writing this I’d be tempted to go straight to the Babka too!

Having said that, I’m honoured and touched by the nominations and support shown by my fellow bloggers who thought of me for these awards.  Not only have they nominated me but we’ve also had lovely online conversations, supported each other with encouraging comments and followed one another’s progress.  And the same goes for my nominees and absolutely all the bloggers I know who I would now like to ‘unofficially’ nominate (and I include those who usually avoid awards) for the ‘Wonderful Blogger’s Award’ – for which you don’t have to do anything!  And I’ll throw in another unofficial award for everyone that can include non-bloggers:  the ‘Fantastic Reader’s Award’ to thank you for reading! 🙂

Okay, now for the ‘official’ awards:

  • Thank you Lucy of Wood Kitchen where you can find some great food.  We’re always looking at each others’ recipes and ‘liking’ them!  Same goes for Nina (thank you Nina!) of Healing with Food where you can find delicious gluten and dairy-free recipes for stuff that’s good for you!  And many thanks ten.times.tea, where you’ll always see exciting recipes with alternative flavours and ingredients, and good cake conversation.  The three nominated me for the Liebster Award, which I already had but I truly appreciate the thought and hope I’ll answer some of your questions in this post.
  • Thank you Sarah of Chilly Bella Photo Art, an inspiring professional photographer’s blog with amazing photos.  She nominated me for the Creative Blogger’s Award, kindly encouraged my attempts at photography, was very positive and advised me to buy a white umbrella which I now use regularly! 🙂

Eight facts about myself (because 5+7=8) for the Lovely and Creative Blogger’s Awards:

I travelled the worldI grew up in London but left to see the world in 1997.  I lived and taught English in Chile, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Jordan, Italy and Madrid before finally settling down in Barcelona.

I love rock-climbing but not scuba-divingI love rock-climbing but have a total fear of being underwarer and scuba-diving (I did try).

DSCF6143If I love a song I can listen to it over 20 times in a row, especially if there’s a loop function.

I love cakes and chocolate, but I'm not a big fan of chocolate cakes! I love cakes and chocolate, but I’m not a big fan of chocolate cakes!

S0032004I have all the Star Trek and Babylon 5 DVD collections.  Love science fiction when it’s based on interesting concepts.

DSCF6149I now spend too much time blogging in front of the cooking channel (Canal Cocina).  Just having Jamie Oliver’s voice in the background brightens up my day! 🙂

My favourite way to relax is reading in bed under my duvet – sheer escapism and comfort!

I’d love to go up in a hot air balloon, preferably with a supply of cakes and cava or champagne!

My creative process for the Blog Tour Award

At the moment I’m baking and posting recipes, as usual, with a balancing act between healthy and decadent cakes.  My ambition is to create healthy cakes that look and taste decadent!  After an Easter extravaganza I’ll do more healthy stuff and continue experimenting with different international flavours and spices.

Maybe my blog differs from others in the genre because of the varied content and it’s a bit weird?  There are cakes but also cartoon drawings, songs, videos, humour, wackiness and stories.  Plus climbing, photos and Barcelona!

I write and create what I do because it makes me happy.  I love cakes and sharing stuff about them.  And other people seem to enjoy the blog so our friendly and positive communication encourages me to continue.  Also, posting on a blog and participating in the Fiesta Friday link-party event is inspiring me to explore, improve and experiment with recipes, which is great!

My writing and creative processes:  I write posts over a few days and revise drafts many times to double-check stuff (like the number of eggs used!) and make language flow smoothly.  I was trained by English teachers who loved literature and paragraphs!

Cake ideas run around my head but there’s no plan.  I follow my instincts and stomach.  I’m inspired by my fellow baking bloggers, cookery programmes, books, cakes in bakeries and restaurants and reader’s requests. And by seasonal fruit or what’s in the kitchen.  A friend told me about avocado in a cake, which inspired me to make avocado mousse.  Oh dear, I’m just constantly thinking and talking about cakes with people!!  I’ve always been like this but now it’s just got worse!!! 🙂

Nominees

Note to the 21 nominees (because 15+4+15=21):  you’re free to choose whichever of the three awards you prefer!  The badges, instructions and rules (which you can bend, as I have) are on a page here.  You can also choose no award.  No problem at all.  You’re nominated in the spirit that I enjoy your blog and admire your work, which I will of course continue to do whether you accept an award or not.

People with a passion for:

baking and cooking

photography, fun and other stuff

make up tips – no I haven’t started wearing any but I will soon! 🙂

pop culture

books and more (and last but not least!)

Babka

Now for the Babka!!! Hurrah!  But I’ve already written over a thousand words!  Tarnations!  Oh well, here’s another photo of the cake and I’ll post the recipe soon!  Sorry, and let’s all mumble dissatisfaction but not anti-award sentiments (you know you love them really!?).  I know it’s all very disappointing.  But never fear sweet reader, one day there WILL be more Babka!!

So thank you for coming to this award ceremony, glasses of cava all around and time for a toast and one more round of applause for the nominators I’ve mentioned and the new nominees!!!  Woohoo!!  Clap clap clap and cheers of ‘bravo!’  Lots of bows all around people, and I mean absolutely everyone here because we’re all stars in our piece of sky.  Happy blogging, baking and eating!  Stay twinkly!!! 🙂

P.S.  I’ll also take this opportunity to announce my early retirement from the award scene, because the kitchen calls!  No more awards pretty please! 🙂

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Baking on Sundays with my French mum was a lovely part of my childhood. Later I experimented with baking books or internet recipes and did the pâtisserie course at Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Still trying out new recipes and inventing cakes with influences from all around the world, including some healthier ones. Yes, love cakes!!! Hope you'll love them too and have fun baking. :)

38 thoughts on “Blog award fest with a Chocolate and cinammon Babka reward! :)”

  1. Nancy's avatar
    Nancy says:

    Congratulations on all of your awards and now you may enjoy your retirement! 😉 I’ll look forward to that Babka recipe!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lili's avatar
      Lili says:

      Thank you Nancy!! I know you yourself retired earlier, otherwise I’d have nominated you too! 🙂 Might have to rest a day or two before the Babka post but it will happen! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Hello Sweet Dessert's avatar
    Hello Sweet Dessert says:

    Thank you for your award, lili. Even though i am still newbie in blogging world here, thank u once again. and congratulations to you for all the other awards, you definitely deserve it. Keep up the good work.
    Love, hellosweetdessert
    Sivia

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Angie | Fiesta Friday's avatar
    Angie says:

    Look at all the awards you’ve collected! I must say each is well deserved, congratulations! You have an interesting blog and a unique voice and you’re a talented baker! Thanks for nominating my blog! 😃

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lili's avatar
      Lili says:

      Thank you for all the lovely compliments Angie! Don’t know what to say!! That’s very sweet of you .. though I’m not sure I’d recommend the backlog lump-the-awards- all-together system! No room for the recipe! 🙂 And you’re very welcome … your talent and enthusiasm for baking and everyone else’s baking is great (and legendary) and it’s a well-deserved award! 🙂

      Like

  5. mariannegv's avatar
    mariannegv says:

    This is so amusing. Congratulations for your well deserved awards, Lili. You are a food artist; continually inventing a great diversity of recipes that always look beautiful, delicious and original. The colorful attractive colors of your food photos, as well as the very original idea of drawing your recipes makes your blog looks lovely and fun at the same time. Well done.
    Marianne

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lili's avatar
      Lili says:

      Thank you so much Marianne for all your lovely and motivating comments! I really appreciate it and I’m so pleased you like the blog and will try to keep posting nice recipes in the future! :I Lili x

      Liked by 1 person

  6. tentimestea's avatar
    tentimestea says:

    Congratulations for all your awards!
    I really enjoy your backlog of awards post (I think it’s quite efficient!) 🙂 Thank you for responding to my nomination (I’m very pleased!) and for the nomination as well! I always love seeing your drawings in posts–and that babka looks delicious, I’m excited to see the recipe!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lili's avatar
      Lili says:

      Thank you so much! I really appreciate your lovely comments and am encouraged to do more drawings! I’m currently working on babka prototype no. 3 (the yeast is fermenting!) – recipe coming soon! 🙂 I was really pleased we crossed paths on the nomination thing too – I like your ‘efficiency’ comment! 🙂 Thanks again! 🙂 x

      Liked by 1 person

  7. nina2018's avatar
    Nina says:

    Love your cheerfulness and humour. Happy retirement! I adore your hot air balloon picture. So whimsical and sweet 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lili's avatar
      Lili says:

      Thank you so much Nina! It’s so nice to know the humour and hot air balloon drawing are appreciated – and I remember that’s your ambition too, to go up in one! I really appreciate all your lovely and motivating comments! 🙂 x

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Ginger's avatar
    Ginger says:

    Well done you for all the great awards – they are so deserved! And thank you for nominating me, that’s very sweet of you. Well, enjoy the retirement and don’t forget to post the babka recipe!
    Ginger x

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lili's avatar
      Lili says:

      Thank you Ginger! I really appreciate your lovely comments and you’re welcome! You really deserve this award, with your amazing and very precise baking experiments! Will be putting my feet up soon, but Babka number 3 is in the oven and needs attention! Thanks again! 🙂 x

      Liked by 1 person

  9. sariscorner's avatar
    sariscorner says:

    Hey Lili, Thanks for the award, I am not really sure if I will “accept” it officially (in the way of making a post about it) as I am thinking about going award free as well (I hate doing nominations like they are requested by the “Liebster- Award”). However I really appreciate being mentioned here!
    And you made me hungry again… Now I won’t be able to concentrate for the next half hour that I still have to wait till Lunch!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lili's avatar
      Lili says:

      Hi Sarina! No worries, I totally understand … and I’m glad you’re happy about the mention, which you totally deserve for your lovely blog and photos – and island! :). Hope you’ve already eaten!.:) Lili x

      Like

  10. Loretta's avatar
    Loretta says:

    Congratulations on all the awards Lili, well deserved for sure. Love your scribblings, drawings and humor. Love how you’ve retired after receiving so many ha ha!! THe awards are wonderful, but oh so time consuming, but a great way to gain exposure and reach out to other bloggers. Keep up the wonderful baking. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lili's avatar
      Lili says:

      Thank you so much for your lovely, motivating and funny comments Loretta!! Yes, I’m retiring to polish my award medals! 🙂 I can see you understand and also made a similar choice. As you say, it’s great for connecting with other bloggers, and supporting each other, but eventually I have to get on with the baking! 🙂 But I do appreciate all the sweet comments from everyone, including yourself, so thanks again! 🙂 Lili x

      Liked by 1 person

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